Innovative people who were educated in Montessori schools could comprise a list of Who’s Who in today’s society, such as cellist Yo-Yo Ma and country-pop singer Taylor Swift.
Dubbed the “Montessori Mafia” by The Wall Street Journal last year, the list of former students also includes Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, the late chef Julia Child, rapper Sean “P. Diddy” Combs, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos and Will Wright, a video game pioneer.
“The Montessori method,” created by Dr. Maria Montessori more than a century ago, fosters creativity and encourages students to decide for themselves what they want to pursue, with guidance from teachers, educators say.
“A child is inspired to learn in an environment that promotes the ability to focus and concentrate,” said Ann Clark, associate head of the Valley Montessori School in Livermore. “There is not a cap for learning.”
The public can get a glimpse of what makes Montessori classes different from traditional classrooms during the American Montessori Society’s annual conference in San Francisco this weekend.
A highlight of the event is a re-creation of “The Glass Classroom” exhibit, which fascinated the public in 1915 when Montessori schoolchildren demonstrated a typical day of studies during the Panama Pacific International Exposition World’s Fair in San Francisco.
The classroom featured large glass walls so people could look in and watch the students in their activities, which included serving themselves lunch and washing their own dishes.
One hundred years later, children are still using many of the same educational materials invented by Montessori.
At Valley Montessori, students learn math using colorful beads, numbered tiles, checkerboards and stamp games.
Darby Harrison, of Pleasanton, said she studies math, language, culture, reading, spelling and other subjects each day. For language and reading, students select words from card drawers to craft compound sentences.
Harrison is interested in houses, so she did some research on her own and wrote a one-page report on the subject.
“I like learning new stuff,” said the 7-year-old, who recently moved to California from New Jersey, where she also attended a Montessori school. “I like it because we get to choose what we do.”
Students and teachers from the school will participate in the conference by demonstrating their typical day in the re-created glass classroom.
Although Montessori started her schools for 3- to 6-year-olds, there are now Montessori elementary, middle and high schools. Instead of sitting at desks, students can sit on the floor and work independently, in classes that include children who span three-year age ranges.
“Older children can act as role models and teachers,” Clark said. “And young children are highly motivated by seeing what older children are doing.”
Montessori was ahead of her time. Many of the ideas she pioneered are coming into vogue again as part of an international push for 21st Century learning, said Roz Hamar, the head of Valley Montessori.
These include opportunities for independent hands-on learning, blending classes with students of different ages, allowing children to learn at their own pace, challenging them to think critically, and encouraging creativity and collaboration.
“Creativity is a big piece. We actually view it as an important part of intellectual development, not just an add-on,” Hamar said.
Montessori also understood that children need to be able to move around, instead of being told to sit still, she added. For those who have difficulty blocking out sound, the school offers “noise cancellation” headphones.
Montessori “came from the point of view of a science and so she really observed how children learn,” Clark said. “I think that’s partially why it’s so remarkable.”
Teachers create calm in the classroom by speaking softly and moving gracefully.
“Grace and courtesy is a hallmark of Montessori education,” she said. “We educate the whole child.”
IF YOU GO:
The American Montessori Society will hold its annual conference Thursday through Sunday at the San Francisco Marriott Marquis, 55 Fourth St. in San Francisco. The event includes a Parent and Community Day on Friday, featuring a recreation of the Glass Classroom that demonstrated Montessori education at the 1915 World’s Fair in San Francisco. More information is available by calling 212-358-1250 or visiting www.amshq.org. Click on “Events.”
1907: Dr. Maria Montessori opens first Montessori school — the Casa dei Bambini, or Children’s House — in Rome.
1909: “The Montessori method” is published in Italian; First Montessori training course is offered.
1912: “The Montessori method” is published in English.
1911: First Montessori schools open in New York and St. Petersburg, Russia.
1913: First international Montessori training course is offered; first school in Spain opens.
1915: Public flocks to see the Montessori “Glass Classroom” exhibit during Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco.
1929: First International Montessori Congress held; Association Montessori Internationale founded in Denmark.
1952: Montessori dies in Amsterdam.
1953: Mario Montessori succeeds his mother as leader of Montessori movement during 10th International Montessori Congress in Paris.
1960: The American Montessori Society is founded, led by Nancy McCormick Rambusch.
2012: American Montessori Society is the largest Montessori organization in the world with more than 1,300 member schools, including many charters. It maintains a collegial relationship with Association Montessori Internationale.
Source: American Montessori Society
